Shelter
by Kwinchester001
Summary: Haley James was a high school student, and had always a lot going on between tutoring classes and hanging out with her friends. But what happens when her parents decide to help an old friend and shelter a really handsome and stuck up Nathan Scott?
1. Breaking News

**A/N: For a long time now I wanted to write a Haley/Nathan fanfic, but I just wouldn't have enough time to do it. Most of it is because I must be having a writer's block for too long now, and I was afraid to start this one. Well, this is my favorite couple from the show and I knew that I had to write a fanfiction about them someday. I planned this to be kind of an AU story. Nathan, Deb and Dan live in a nearby city, and Nathan hasn't been on Tree Hill for a long time. I really hope to be able to update this on a regular basis. Please, if you read this, take some time to review and tell me what you think, it'd be really appreciated. Sorry for the mistakes, if there are many. English is not my first language and I tend to do some slip ups. **

**Now, let's start! **

**Summary: ** Haley James was a busy high school student, and had always a lot going on between tutoring classes and hanging out with her friends. But what happens when her parents decide to help an old friend and shelter in their home a really handsome and stuck up Nathan Scott?

**Shelter**

**Chapter One: Breaking News**

It was always like that.

Lucas was her best friend like forever, but surely sometimes Haley just wanted to shook him really hard to see if there was some sense in him after all.

"Of course you have to go to this party, Luke... it's not like you can just skip it."

"Of course I can!" He shook his head and got up. They were having a conversation in his mom's café, and the night was starting to kick in. "I know I shouldn't, but I still can..."

"No, you can't. Lucas, it's Jake's birthday! Just 'cause you and Brooke got into a fight, that's not and excuse to let our other friends down!"

Lucas sighed. He knew she was right, but he just couldn't admit it. Well, for sure that Jake, Peyton, Haley, and of course, Brooke, would be upset if he didn't go. But he just wanted to take his time... he was not ready, maybe, to face his girlfriend and say that he was sorry.

"Besides that, Lucas, you were the one getting all worked up just because she had to do a History paper with that boy. There's nothing going on between them and you know it. Brooke is crazy about you."

"I know..." He said in a low tone.

"So this is it then. We're going and that's a final word. Now let's get ready... and please, it would be nice if you went to her and made things right."

"Ok..."

Haley smiled a little and Lucas followed her. He knew she was right. Haley was, almost all the time.

X X X X X X X X X

"Hey, Haley, what got you so long?" Peyton greeted her as soon as her friend got in the house. The party was at full swing by now, and it would be really difficult to meet everybody there. Lucas was probably on his way, though.

"I was just trying to get some sense into Lucas' head... you know how he can be stubborn sometimes. Where's Brooke?"

"Probably looking for Lucas."

"He must be here anytime now." Haley assured. "Well, let's just have some fun, c'mon... where's Jake after all?"

X X X X X X X X

"Hey"

Brooke turned around to see Lucas approaching her, later that same night. She was outside, at the back of the house, alone. It turned out to be a surprise that he took so long to show up.

"Hey." She answered in a low voice, looking away again.

"Things are getting a little crazy inside." Lucas smiled a little, stopping by her side. "I wondered where you were."

"Just... trying to be alone a little bit."

Lucas instantly felt like he was not welcome.

"If you prefer, we can talk later..."

"No." Brooke quickly added, not really wanting him to go.

He sighed and scratched the back of his head, seeming out of words.

"Look, I'm sorry." He told her pretty quickly and she hold her breath. "I didn't mean to be a jackass... I know there's nothing going on now, except for me being jealous of you."

"Luke, you know I love you... I would never do something to hurt you. You know that."

"I know. I love you too..." He nodded. "So... are we good?"

Brooke turned to face him and smiled a little bit, hugging him tightly after that. She loved him more than anything. Lucas finally relaxed and hugged her back, kissing her head lightly.

"We are good, Luke. But you can consider yourself lucky about that." She smiled.

"You know, I have this gorgeous girlfriend to take care of, I kind of have the need _and _ the right to be jealous of her."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right. Let's meet up with the guys and tell them that we're all right. And you owe me a dance."

"Is that really necessary?" He joked while they walked insede the house, hand by hand, smiling with each other. Things were back to normal. He was glad that Haley helped him get the courage to talk to her.

"C'mon, stop whinning."

Not so far away from there, their other friends could see that they seemed to be good again, while the two of them now danced together, and kissed from time to time.

"Way to go, Haley." Jake told her, while hugging Peyton. "I'll remember talking to you if I ever get into a fight with Peyton."

"You better not, Jagielski, not even Haley can save your ass if you get me pissed off." Peyton joked and Haley laughed along with them.

Haley was happy with their friends. They were together since forever, and she could never picturing herself in another place to be, or other friends to hang out with. They were perfect. Like a second family or something.

But sometimes, even for small minutes, she wished she had someone to be with, like Lucas had Brooke and Peyton had Jake. She wanted to fell like that too. But for now, it seemed that the she would just have to wait a little more.

X X X X X X X X X

_A few days later..._

"Dan, forget about it!" Deb shouted one more time, her temper rising minute after minute. Dan knew how to be an ass, and for months now he was making the most of it. "Nathan is my son and I know what's better for him!"

"He is my son too!" He said back to her, angrily. "And you know nothing about it!"

"There is no going back, Dan! I already called them, Nathan _is _going away and there is nothing you can do to prevent that."

"You think that throwing him out to live in someone else's house is going to do him any good? Even worst, your sending him to fucking Tree Hill! You know why we moved out of that stupid city, and now you just want to send him there into the lion's den alone! It's clear for everyone to see that you are crazy, Deb. You are fucking crazy!" Dan shouted in her face.

While they fought and shouted to each other, Nathan Scott would just look down, amused and at the same time pissed of by the fact that they were deciding his life without even asking. And to top it of, they were talking like he wasn't even there.

"Nathan!" Dan turned to him, finally. "Tell your mother how ridiculous this idea is! She wants to send you to Tree Hill, to live with these people!"

"Dan, I already said it's done! Nathan is going! It's the best! We need to adjust our lives and it's the best if he just stay out at least for some time! You are losing control of yourself!"

"I'm talking to my son! Nathan! I told you to tell your mother that you're not going!"

Nathan looked from one to another, his face lost and full of anger and fear. He sure didn't want to live in another city, with people he didn't know. But it was clear that staying at home with his father making his life a living hell was not a great option. His mom was actually giving him a chance to get out of this mess, and he was seriously thinking that it was the best. At least for now.

"Son!" Dan called his attention again and Nathan looked at him. He couldn't think straight.

"Dan, leave him alone! Nathan, please, go to you bedroom."

"You do not dare to leave this room without doing what I told you to..." He stopped when he saw Nathan practically flying to his bedroom after his mother told him to. "Nathan! Nathan, I'm talking to you!"

"Dan, leave him alone! I told you! It's final! He's staying with Lydia and Jimmy for awhile. I already talked to him, and he agreed to it. I would never force him into anything that he didn't wanted. He want to go, Dan. He wants to get away from you!"

"I'm just caring for him and for his future!" Her husband told her, not in a friendly tone. "You are just spoiling it!"

"Like hell you are, Dan! You just keep bullying him day after day! I'm sick of you making our lives a living hell!"

"So why don't you go away! Leave Nathan and go! We were doing fine here!"

"Yes, so fine that he actually wants to be away from you, from school, from me, from his friends and from this stupid basketball team. You are killing him inside, Dan, and I'm not going to sit around and see my son succumb to you madness."

Dan paced around the room, totally mad with the situation.

"If you want things to get back to normal, let's try to do it. But for now, Nathan is going away."

"This is ridiculous." He scowled. Deb just shook her head and went to the stairs.

When she entered the bedroom, Nathan was finishing packing his things. He was looking at his trophies, carefully running his fingers on some of them. She smiled at her son and sighed, closing the door after entering his bedroom.

"Nathan, you know I'm not forcing you into this. You can stay if you want."

"I would rather go, mom..."

"You really sure? I already talked to Lydia, but I can..."

"Mom, really... I want to go. It'll be better... well... at least I'll be away from him sometime."

"Yeah..." She hugged him and Nathan shook his head, frowning.

"What about you? You're going to stay here alone with him."

"Nathan, I can handle your dad. I'm just worried about you... and all this basketball madness that he's sucking you into during your entire life." She sighed. "I'm not throwing you out, like he said."

"I know that, mom, I never thought this... I'm ok with this. I really am." He assured her, smiling a bit. "Are you sure that the James' family is ok with having me around for awhile?"

"They are. Of course they are... you know that. They always supported me when we lived back in Tree Hill and..."

"But I was just a small kid."

"It doesn't matter, Nathan. They always worry about you... you know that. I think that Lydia, besides Karen, is one of my best friends..."

Nathan smirked and shook his head.

"Funny to see that you get along with dad's favorite person." He said, referring to Karen. "I almost forget that Lucas is going to be there too..."

"Are you sure you can handle it Nathan?"

"I'm positive... so... when will I leave?"

"Saturday." She answered, tears started forming in her eyes. "I'll call you... everyday... ok?"

"I'll miss you, mom... if you need any help, please tell me. We can get out of this mess together."

"I just want you to have some peace of mind to live your life, Nathan. Things will get better. I know that."

He nodded. Yeah, he wanted so much that things really got better... and even going to Tree Hill seemed like a better option than sticking around with his dad trying to kill him everyday, just to prove who was stronger. Nathan loved the game... but from some time now, things were getting pretty intense and not really great. Dan was the source of it, for sure.

He wanted nothing to do with his dad's tantrums anymore. Nathan was tired, angry and full of sadness all along. He just wished his life changed for the best.

X X X X X X X X X X

She didn't even know Nathan at all. Well, she obviously remembered him, since they went to kindergarten together, and first grade, but that was all. She knew he was Dan Scott's son, and of course, Lucas's brother. Since the Scott family moved from Tree Hill, she never saw him anymore, but she knew that her parents and his mom were great friends... but she never thought they are so close at the point of sheltering Nathan Scott in their house.

Haley's mother told her that Nathan and his dad were in a difficult situation at home, and he wanted to get out for awhile. Since he didn't want to go to his grandparents, Deb thought that maybe, they could let him stay for some time. How much time? That was the real question.

Not that Haley really thought it was a bad thing. If Deb Scott called her house and asked something so difficult, things should be really bad at their house. Karen told Haley sometimes about Dan, and she kind of knew he was not a great person. Nathan must be totally fed up if he also thought that moving into someone else's house would be better than staying at his own.

Haley sighed. It looked like trouble, to say the least.

"Hey, Haley..." Her mom sat down next to her on the porch, smiling. "Everything all right?"

"Yes." She smiled and nodded. "I was just thinking."

"About Nathan staying here? Is this concerning you?"

"No, mom... I really support you and dad for being this nice to Deb and actually help Nathan even though you don't see him for years... I really do. It must be hard for him too, having to stay out in order to feel better."

"That's what Deb told us. She said that Nathan is going through a really dark period in his life, he needed to get away from Dan. Although I think Dan will never let him be, I think he'll be good here. Well, at least we can try."

"Yeah... we can." Haley smiled again.

"Are you sure that you are alright with it?"

"Of course I am, mom. I really hope we can help him. Even if it's just offering him a nice place to live for awhile."

"I'm glad to hear that you are ok with this, Haley. So I can count on you to show him around the school and everything."

"Sure. I can handle that. When is he arriving?"

"Saturday. He'll have the Sunday to arrange things... Deb already took care of all the rest. Just be patient with him. Although we imagine what he's been going through, we don't really know how he's reacting to all of this."

"Yeah."

Haley was sure that Nathan was having a pretty bad time. She just wished that Nathan coming to Tree Hill would make it better after all.

**A/N: This chapter was pretty short I guess, but anyway, hope you got the idea. Thanks for reading! :) **


	2. Thoughts

**Shelter**

**Chapter Two: Thoughts**

"So, are you really ok with this, Haley?" Karen asked her carefully, while cleaning some tables at the café. Haley was helping her out, since they were almost ready to open on that Saturday morning.

"Yeah, I am." She nodded and sent Karen a small smile.

"Good to hear that." Karen smiled back. "He must be pretty troubled, and probably he's grateful that your parents agreed to help him for a while."

"I'm not really looking forward to it, you know…" Haley sighed and shook her head, taking a seat after they finished. "Not that I mind, it's not that… but with all the things I heard about Dan and how he can be an ass, I don't think that things will stay calm as they are around here anymore."

"You can count on that." Karen agreed. "I just hope that Dan don't try to make things worse for Nathan. I bet he's been through a lot from him."

Haley nodded. She knew that could happen. And she didn't really want a pissed off Dan Scott arriving unannounced at her home anytime soon. It would certainly not be any good to Nathan, and for sure it would be even worst for Lucas.

"You see…" Karen started again, while opening the door. "Dan always made his best to keep Nathan away from Tree Hill, but now he's coming to live here by his choice."

"Do you think Nathan might have a problem with that? With…living here in Tree Hill? Having to actually face Lucas and you…"

"I don't really know, Haley. I don't know Nathan. Sometimes Deb calls me, and she just say that her son is a good kid. He's just troubled by his dad. I believe her. And if Nathan agreed to live here, then I think he doesn't see a problem with it after all."

"Maybe he just wants to piss his dad off by accepting moving here." Haley stated. it could be true.

"It can be. But that doesn't really matter. Let's just make an effort to make him feel like he's welcome. I already talked to Lucas…"

"Yeah, he told me." Haley nodded her head. "He's not very fond of the idea, especially because he thinks that Nathan will draw some trouble to my house."

"I just told him to back off and let Nathan be. He and Dan are not the same person, and unless he proves us wrong, we'll give him the benefit of doubt."

"It's true."

"So, you're thinking that it could be awkward… having a strange boy living in your house…" Karen smiled.

"A little." Haley laughed lightly. "The truth is that I don't really know him and he's just going to be there… I don't know if I should try to be friends with him, I don't really know what he is like…"

"You'll find out. Since you're going to the same school, there'll be time to get to know him better."

"Do you think he's going to be around for a long time?" Haley asked. Karen raised her eyebrows and sighed.

"I don't know. Deb didn't tell me anything about how much time Nathan would stay here. I think she let it up to him. When he wants to go back, he will."

Haley didn't know how his presence would affect their friends, especially Lucas. And besides that, she didn't know how Nathan's presence would affect herself and the life around her house.

Haley was curious about it, and at the same time, she was a little scared. Well, he was going to be there by the end of the day, so there was no point trying to figure out what it would be like.

"Hey, mom. Hey, Haley!" Lucas greeted them while entering the place some minutes later. He seemed to be in a cheerful mood that morning, and Karen and Haley exchanged a curious look.

"Hey!" Haley smiled and went to join him near his mom. "So, what's the plans for today?"

"Nothing much. I'll stop by Jake's house now; we really need to finish that English paper, since its due Monday."

Karen placed some coffee in front of them and poured her a little bit too.

"Thanks, mom." Lucas smiled at her and then turned back to Haley. "So, you finished yours?"

"Of course I did! Last week, I suppose."

"I don't even know why I ask." He rolled his eyes, smiling. "But we're all heading to the river side court after lunch to hang out and me and the guys are playing a little bit. You in?"

"Sure." She nodded. Her shift at Karen's Café was only until noon, so she was free after lunch. "I can meet you guys there around two o'clock."

"It'll be cool." Lucas took a sip on his coffee and turned to his mother. "I think I'll have lunch at Jake's. His mom invited me."

"So, seeing as my son is leaving me to have lunch all by myself, I have to ask Haley if she wants to stay and have lunch with me."

"That will be cool actually." Haley agreed. "My parents are not home, so I would have to eat alone too…"

"Where are they?" Lucas asked.

"They went shopping for a bed… for Nathan, you know. They didn't have time during the week, and they decided to do it in the morning, since he's coming later today."

"Oh… ok." Lucas nodded. Karen just glanced at him and went to the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone.

"Are you ok with this Luke? You know we can talk about it…" Haley started, feeling sorry that Lucas was obviously uncomfortable with the situation.

"It's okay, Haley. Just… it's kind of weird knowing that he'll be living in Tree Hill, and in your house."

"What, are you jealous of your best friend?" She joked and Lucas laughed.

"Maybe a little…" He looked at her and then stroked her face slowly. "You know that you're like my little sister… I have to take care of you."

"I'll be ok, Luke. It's not like he came here to do us any harm… he's just taking some time away from his dad, that's all."

"He is Dan's son." Lucas told her after that, looking back at her. She rolled her eyes.

"So you are." She frowned at him. "And you are an amazing guy, Luke. Just because he is Dan's son, that doesn't mean that he'll be a jackass."

"Well, I'm an ok guy 'cause I was raised by my mom. Nathan always lived with Dan. For me, all I can see is that he can be just like him."

"Yeah, he can be. But we _don't know_! He can be nice, just like you, and you are just getting all worried for nothing. Just try being nice to him, that's all we can do… I think he is putting up with a lot of crap from his dad lately, that's why he wanted to get away. We don't have the right to make his life worse here too."

"Do you think he'll join the basketball team?" Lucas asked.

"I don't really know." Haley answered. She knew nothing about Nathan's plans on basketball or anything. Her mom told her that he dropped the team weeks ago, and maybe that was a sign of him getting fed up with the game. Maybe he just didn't want to play anymore. "Are you afraid of him doing it? Joining the team?"

"Don't know." Lucas shrugged. "It would be awkward, I think… I heard he played on his school's team, maybe he will want to join the Ravens."

"I don't know, Luke. Really don't. But even if he wants it, please, just let it be. It's just a game…"

"I know." He nodded.

Haley smiled at her friend. He was a great guy, she knew that. Lucas was just afraid of facing the problem that he never talked about… his family problem. But, as everybody knows, you can't just expect things to remain covered forever. Dan got out of Tree Hill long time ago with Deb and a seven years old Nathan, but that didn't mean that the past was dead. Dan could hide all he wanted, but the fact that Lucas was his son was undeniable, and everybody knew that. It was not a secret.

And now was the time for the two brothers face each other again.

"Everything will be fine, Luke." She assured.

"I know… I just… Just be careful ok?"

"I will. And you, just try to be nice. I'm not saying I'll be friends with him or anything, just… I'll only do my best not to make him feel uncomfortable. After all, he'll be living in my house. There's nothing I can do about it, and treating him bad is not the answer."

"Ok…" He nodded. "I'll do my best."

Lucas quickly finished his coffee and the kissed the top of her head, smiling. He then got up.

"I gotta go now. I told Jake I would be there early, so we could finish this thing as soon as possible."

"Ok. I'll help your mom out for now and after I finish having lunch with her I'll go meet you guys there."

"See you there then. Bye mom!" He said the last part a little louder.

"Bye, Luke. See you later." She said back to him.

Karen smiled down at Haley, getting back to her just after Lucas went away. She sighed and shook her head at thought of her son being all fussed because of Nathan.

"You did a great job talking to him, you know?" Karen told the girl. "Maybe this is a good chance for them to know each other and leave all this mess behind. It's not like they could just forget the fact that they are indeed related to each other."

"Let's hope everything turns out well." Haley added and quickly got up, as soon as a customer entered the place. "Let's get to work."

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

"Do they ever get tired of playing this game?" Brooke rolled her eyes while she, Peyton and Haley were watching Lucas, Jake and some other friends play basketball.

"I don't think so." Peyton laughed. "At least we have some time to hang out."

Brooke saw Lucas smiling at her and she winked at him, knowingly. Then she turned back to the girls, a big smile on her face.

"Seems like you and Luke are really okay now." Haley said, while watching the boys play.

"We are. It was just a small fight, we got over it."

"I can tell!" Peyton nodded and then laughed. "I noticed the way he was looking at you all the week. What were you guys up to?"

"Nothing much!" Brooke laughed too. "We just had to catch up on our lost time…"

"You guys only stay separated for… less than a day!" Haley raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Well, that's much time! Me and Luke had to do something about it…"

"Don't even bother telling us the details." Haley made a face and Brooke rolled her eyes, playfully. "It's great to see that you two get along so well."

"Yeah, 'cause Lucas can be a butthead sometimes." Peyton joked.

"Whatever." Brooke rolled her eyes. "So, there's this huge party tonight, and we all need to go."

"I'm sure Jake will be up to this." Peyton nodded. "Sounds like a plan. What do you say, Haley? You're coming with us, right?"

Haley wasn't so sure about that. Nathan was getting there later, probably by dinner time, and she didn't think it was nice not being home. Okay, it was not her problem, but it didn't feel like the right thing to do in the end.

"I don't know, girls." Haley let out a small smile. "You know, Nathan's getting home today and…"

"There's no excuse." Brooke exclaimed. "You don't need to be there, it's not like you have to be waiting for him or something."

"I know, it's just that I don't think it would be nice." Haley shook her head.

"We doesn't even know the guy, Tutor girl. And he could be the real butthead if you asked me." Brooke said that, looking at Peyton. The blonde girl laughed a little, but soon enough shook her head at what Brooke was saying.

"Maybe Haley is no wrong at all. Of course she doesn't need to stay home, but it would really be nice if she did. On the other hand, I don't think you need to skip the party just because of him." Peyton told her. "You should stay home and help your parents out in order to make him feel welcomed, but you can meet us there later. Or I can tell Jake to get you around nine. This way you're not missing anything."

Haley nodded. It was good for her.

"Yeah, I think we can manage that." She smiled. "So tell Jake to pick me up at nine o'clock. I'll be waiting."

"Oh, that's so cool!" Brooke said, excited. "Peyton, you're coming with me to my house so we can get ready. I wish you could come too, Haley."

"Yeah, but let's just do it like Peyton said. It'll be better."

They just keep talking about the party and about the outfits they would choose and everything else. Haley, on the other hand, was just quiet, looking the boys play. She was nervous and anxious, and as the minutes and hours passed, she was more and more drawn to the feeling that meeting Nathan Scott would change her life in a serious way. She didn't know how, when or why, she just felt like that.

And it was scaring her a lot that a guy she didn't even know at all could make her feel like that.

X X X X X X X X X X X X

Nathan sighed while he closed his eyes and decided to keep his attention on the music that was blasting through his earphones. The trip was not so long, but being in that bus without someone to talk to was getting him nuts.

Well, it's not like he really wanted to talk about things, but being alone was making him thinks about the choice he just made, by accepting his mom's suggestion to go back to Tree Hill.

_Maybe it was better if I stayed home. _

That was an option, but Nathan was feeling so down for months that he didn't think he could handle all the things his dad was doing to him anymore. For a long time now, Nathan was thinking about quit the team, stopping playing basketball for good, and all of that just because of Dan. Since he was little, back in Tree Hill, he would remember being taught how to play by his dad. When they decided to move out of there, Nathan was seven, and after that, all he did was practice with his dad everyday.

His entire life was about being good at playing basketball.

Well, he couldn't say he didn't like it, 'cause he really did. The game was his life, he could say that. But what made him so fed up with it was purely his dear dad. Dan would almost kill him every time he missed a basket or every time where the team lost a game. Even when they won, and basically they won almost every game, Dan would always find a flaw and bully him about it for weeks. He would say he was sloppy, or he was losing his focus, or he was just going to say how Nathan _never _would be as good as he was.

Nathan couldn't care less about his dad's regrets about his life. He was tired of always being threatened by him every fucking day of the week just about a stupid game. A game that should be just for fun. Well, it sure wasn't fun to Nathan anymore. Actually, he couldn't even remember when he really enjoyed playing basketball, since his sanity depended on doing more than he could to be the best.

He almost flunked in English and Math last year just because his dad thought that practicing and running with him was more important than studying for the exams he had to take. Sure, Nathan wasn't very fond of studying, but sometimes he felt like his life was just turning the wrong direction and there was nothing he could do to stop that.

Thinking about the way his life was turning upside down the last months, he agreed that getting away from Dan Scott would be his salvation. It didn't matter if he had to live in Tree Hill for awhile, nothing really mattered to him now. All he wanted was to be away from Dan for some time, he wanted to think about his life, think about what he really wanted to do and who he wanted to be. His head was messed up, and being like this was not a great way to be living, especially when you also need to deal with school work, teachers, tests and the results of the games.

All he wanted was a little bit of peace. He wanted to have no more pressure on him about anything.

He didn't want this to be like they were in the past few weeks, when everything just got worse and pretty ugly….

_**Flashback on**_

_Dan entered Nathan's bedroom with his face all flushed. He was surely angry and Nathan knew something like that would happen. The__y lost the game, and the team was no more undefeated. Nathan had the chance to make the victory basket, but he missed and then, he knew all the world would crash down on his shoulders as soon as he got home. _

"_What the hell was that about?"_

"_What?" Nathan asked his father, knowing what he was talking about. _

"_How could you fucking missed it? Nathan, what are you thinking?"_

"_I just missed it, dad! There was nothing more I could do!" he said, clearly tired and angry at his dad's attitude. _

"_I'm making my efforts for you to be the best and you just go there and mess everything up?"_

"_If you don't want me messing up your stupid game, dad, then why don't you go there and play it yourself? I wouldn't mind stepping out so you could get my place on the team!" Nathan told him, a smirk growing on his face. Dan closed his fists, his face full of anger. _

"_Don't kid with me, Nathan."_

"_I'm not kidding. I couldn't care less about you or what you think, or about this stupid game! I'm done with it, dad, ok?"_

_Dan took a step closer to his son, his eyes turning darker. Nathan knew he couldn't take it anymore, and that was the perfect time to just let out all his frustration about the way Dan was treating him all this time. _

"_What do you mean by saying that?"_

"_I mean what I just said. I'm done with it. Tomorrow I'll let Coach Burton know that I'll be out of the team."_

"_You can't do that."_

"_It's not like you can force me to play, dad, I already decided it. I'll quit the team and there's nothing you can do about it. I just can't stand it anymore, I don't enjoy it anymore. All you did was turn this game into something horrible."_

"_Stop saying bullshit…"_

"_I'm just stating the truth, dad. Too bad if you continue refusing to accept it. I already said what my decision is, and I want nothing to do with basketball anymore!"_

_After that, all Nathan felt was Dan's fist connecting with his jaw, and then he fell back near the wall. He wasn't sure about what had happened at the moment, but as soon as he felt his face hurting like hell, he knew that his dad hit him forcefully. _

"_You little piece of shit…"_

_Nathan tried to protect himself from his dad, but all he got was another punch, right on the eye. He let out a frustrated and painful sigh and Dan pointed a finger to his face. _

"_You don't have the right to take a decision like this! Not after all the time and money I spent on you, Nathan!"_

_Nathan didn't answer that at all. He was too shocked. Of course it was not the first time his dad got angry, but it was the first time that Nathan was actually afraid of him. Besides, his face was hurting a lot and he bet that he would get a black eye. _

_What a sweet way to show up at school the next day. _

_Dan grabbed him by his shirt and made him stand again. Nathan was really surprised by his dad's reaction, and now he was almost regretting what he said about stop playing basketball. His dad shoved him against the wall, visibly mad about Nathan's words. And he was just about hitting him again when Deb entered the room, shocked at what she was seeing. _

"_Dan, let go of him!"_

_He just did what she asked, but shoved his son against the wall again for good measure. Nathan touched his jaw and knew it would be pretty bad too. _

"_Nathan, are you alright?" His mom asked, joining him a second later. As soon as he nodded, still seeming lost and confused, she turned to look at her husband again. "Dan, what were you doing? You lost your mind?"_

"_He said he'll quit the team! After all I did to help him out all these years and..."_

"_No, dad, you didn't do that for me!" Nathan spoke again, his mom standing right by his side. "You did it for yourself and you know it. You did just because you want to live your dream through me, but guess what? I'm fucking tired of it! You can have this whole thing if you really want it, dad! I already said it, and I'm not taking it back. I'll quit tomorrow."_

"_You're going to regret this, Nathan." Dan told him, seeming to calm down a little. "You know you are."_

"_I'm not. Get over it already."_

"_When you realize that you're just throwing your future at the garbage, don't come crying to me, son. Basketball is the only thing you can really do in your life. You know that." Dan shot him a mocking smile. "Without it, you'll be fucked up and pathetic. It's not like you are smart enough to be accepted in a good university just 'cause of your grades. You're throwing your future away, Nathan... mark my words."_

_Nathan just clenched his jaw and watched his dad walk away, leaving him and his mom alone in the bedroom. Deb hugged Nathan and touched his face slowly. _

"_Don't let him get to you, Nathan... nothing he said is true. You know it's not like that."_

_He wanted to believe her, he truly wanted... but it was a shame that his dad always knew what to say in order to get to him. There was nothing Nathan could really do. He was already suffering. _

_**Flashback off**_

Nathan sighed and opened his eyes again after reviving that moment a few times on his head. He really quit the team the day after that and Dan told him that he would take it back as soon as he realized the big mistake he was making. But Nathan didn't think it was a mistake and never came back to the team. It was done, it was his decision, and there was no going back.

Basketball was out of his life, just like his dad was. There was no other way to be free.

Nathan then shook his head and realized they were already arriving in Tree Hill. He just secretly wished it was the best choice, wished things would get better and he could live his life. All he wanted was to be a normal and happy teenager after all; he just didn't know if it was nearly possible.

X X X X X X X X X X X X

"You surely grew up, huh?" Jimmy patted Nathan's back as soon as they got to the car, smiling. The boy they saw ten years ago was now taller than they ever imagined.

"A little." Nathan's did his best to smile back.

"We hope you enjoy your stay with us, Nathan." Lydia now looked at him, smiling fondly at the boy. "We prepared a room for you, it's not fancy, but it sure looks good. Haley helped me clean up before we came to pick you up, I think she's just finishing it right now."

"Well, thanks, Mrs. James, it means a lot to me. Even though I don't want to get you into any trouble…"

"It's not trouble." Mr. James laughed. "Now let's get going, you must be really tired from the trip, and probably hungry! Lydia, call Haley and ask her if she can make some sandwiches before we get home."

"Sure."

Nathan sat on the back seat and felt weird for being there. They were doing their best to be nice to him, he could see it, but they were not his family. Even though, deep inside, he just wish they were.

After that, he thought about Haley. He had forgotten all about the James having a daughter by his age, but they had. They went to kindergarten together and he was always picking on her about something. He didn't remember her face that well, and of course he didn't have any idea on how she looked like now. It was a long time ago, and it was a little before his dad decided it was the best if they just leaved the city.

"Do you remember our daughter Haley?" Lydia asked him, right after she hung up the phone. Her daughter told her she would make some sandwiches and orange juice.

"Ah, actually I do. When you mentioned her I kind of remembered. We went to kindergarten together when I lived here." He answered.

"That's right. You were such a cute little boy!" She smiled. "Haley always would make a fuss about how you were picking on her."

Nathan smiled. So he actually remembered how Haley James would always be aggravated by him.

Now, thinking about it, could be a little more awkward living with them knowing now that they had a daughter. Nathan was not facing good days and he really wished he could be alone most of the time and try to work things out by himself.

When they were there, Nathan thought they had a pretty good house, even though it was plain and simple, different than his own house. He could get used to that, of course.

Jimmy helped him out with his bags, and Lydia James rushed to open the door and announce that they were home. Nathan entered the house slowly. He looked around to find himself in a cozy living room, which actually felt like a real home. Way different that his own house.

"Make yourself at home, son." Jimmy told him. "Haley, we're here!"

Nathan looked at the kitchen door and then she finally made her way to the living room, a smile playing on her lips. _God, she's beautiful. _She was certainly feeling a little shy, he could tell, but even though, Haley managed to look up to him and say:

"Hey, Nathan." She smiled. "I'm Haley."

He smiled down at her, nodding his head in response. Now there was no way back. He just hoped his time on Tree Hill could be bearable.

**TBC**

**A/N: Well, thanks if you read it, please leave a review and tell me what you think. All I can say is that things will **_**not **_**be easy to Haley and Nathan, 'cause I happen to love a little drama. **** Next chapter should be up real soon! **


	3. Tree Hill

**Shelter**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and to the ones who sent reviews. And also thanks to _othfan1919 _for betaing the story . Now, on to the next part!**

**Chapter Three: Tree Hill**

**XXX**

_So what do you do now, Nathan? Get wasted and then hook up with a random girl on your first night in Tree Hill?_

He smiled to himself and knew the answer would be '_Yes'. _Haley told him about some party at a guy's house, and since he was already wanting a beer or two and having some fun, he could use going to this and enjoying himself a while. It was nice to do whatever he wanted without thinking about Dan showing up and spoiling all his fun.

So, what was the girl's name again? He didn't remember at all. Especially when he was so drunk that he couldn't even remember how he got in that bedroom in first place. The party was nice, actually, and he found himself having some real fun after he had a few shots.

"I never saw you around before, hot shot." The girl smiled down to him, while her hand roamed on his body.

"You'll see me around a lot from now on…" He winked at her and went back to devouring her lips, while his hands were now on her butt. She didn't mind it at all and Nathan could tell he was pretty much happy about that.

On the other hand, Haley was not having so much fun.

She was outside, trying to get out of the madness for a little while, and since her friends were all too busy at the moment, there was nothing else she could do. She sipped a bit of her soda and sighed. She wanted to go home already, but she didn't have any ideas of where Nathan would be by now, and her parents wouldn't be very fond of the idea of Haley letting him behind, when he knew no one yet and probably would get lost on his way back.

How great was that? She instantly regretted having invited him to this stupid party. Last time she had a glimpse of him, he was hanging out with some guys of the basketball team, while a girl was all over him. Literally.

So what? Did she think that Nathan was at least a little different from other guys? Maybe, secretly, she really thought and wanted that. Now he proved her wrong on his first night there.

"Tired, already?"

Haley turned her head and saw Lucas smiling down at her, taking a seat besides her. Haley smiled back.

"A little, yeah… I wish I could go home." She breathed out, her eyes wearily gazing at something.

"Seems like Nathan isn't up for it yet. I saw him going upstairs with this blond chick like five minutes ago."

"Oh, how nice." She rolled her eyes.

Lucas gave her a sympathetic smile and then stretched his long legs, making himself more comfortable.

"It's your fault after all. Why did you bring him here anyway?" He asked her, a hint of humor on his voice.

"Well, he _asked_ if he could come too. What would you expect me to say?"

"I wish you said no." Lucas pointed at her, laughing lightly at her expression and Haley rolled her eyes again. But, deep inside, she knew that Lucas was probably right about it.

"It would've been rude."

"It was rude of him asking to come to a party where he doesn't know anyone."

"Well, I can say that he already made some friends." She stated.

Lucas shook his head.

"Haley, I told you he was trouble" Lucas told her, now looking away and with a serious voice. "Look, he arrived at your house like what… five or six hours ago and he's already messing things up. He is totally wasted and having sex with a random girl from school and how the hell you think your parents will be ok with that? I mean, it's getting real late now and they'll want you to go home anytime soon. Besides that, Nathan getting home in that state is not a great thing. They'll start regretting helping him out, and not even a day has passed." Lucas sighed. "I imagine what stunts he'll pull at school."

"Ok, I got it, I made a mistake. I told you guys it was better if I just stayed home tonight… now, what can I do? It's not like I can go there and make him go home with me… and I also can't go home alone. Especially not today. He doesn't even know how to get there, my parents would be mad if I did this."  
>Lucas nodded his head. She was right. He didn't want Haley to get in trouble with her parents, and especially if the cause of it was Nathan. He knew the idea of him coming to live in Tree Hill would not be a good thing, and Haley was now in the middle of it. She was now in the middle of his family problems, and for sure it would mess with her life too after some time. She didn't deserve to put up with Nathan's problems, she was a good girl.<p>

"I can drive you home now, and then, later, when Nathan is around, I can ask Jake to drop him at your house." Lucas offered.

"I don't know. My parents would be upset the same way."

"Haley, your parents are cool, you know." He tried to calm her down. "I'm really worried about you…"

"I'm okay, Lucas." She assured him. "I just don't want my parents thinking it was a bad idea to let him stay with us."

"I can't understand why you care about it." He rolled his eyes and she made a face. "Well, let's get you home, Haley. I'll talk to your mom or dad when we arrive there, ok? Jake will lead Nathan home after that."

"Okay, then. Let's go. I'm really tired."

X X X X X X X X X

Nathan stumbled while making his way through the people, grabbing another beer in the process. A girl made a move on him, but he was so drunk by now that he didn't even notice her at all.

"Hey, Nate, are you up for some tequila shots?" Tim asked him, patting his back a little later. They got along since the time Nathan arrived at the party, and he was already making more friends around. Nathan was a popular guy on his other school, and he had a feeling things in Tree Hill would be exactly the same. The girls were all over him, he was bonding with the male population too, and he was sure this was going to be nice. He was feeling free, and, to be more specific, Nathan was relieved. Dan was not around. He smiled to himself. He was feeling reckless that night, more than ever. And he felt good.

"Sure, why not?" He slurred and made his way to meet his new friends near the kitchen.

"Hey, you, handsome…" A brunette girl stopped him and he looked down at her. She pulled him into a hot kiss before he could even realize what was happening.

"Hey…" He breathed right after she took a little distance from him. She then shoot him a dirty glance and walked away, making sure he would get a good sight of her butt. "Yeah, I think I'll enjoy being in Tree Hill more than I thought I would." He told to himself before he started heading to where the guys were.

"You're making the girls go crazy around here, man!" Tim laughed and offered Nathan some tequila. He quickly drank it, making a face. "I heard you already scored Natalie, is that true?"

"I don't exactly remember her name… or face." Nathan mumbled. The guys laughed. "But I do remember she gave me a fucking nice…"

"Hey, Nathan Scott…" Jake tapped his shoulder, interrupting whatever he was about to say.

"I'm not really into guys, you know…" Nathan backed off, laughing. "No need to touch me, man.

"I'm Jake Jagielski. Haley's friend…" He told him, rolling his eyes.

"Haley?" Nathan frowned. "Who the hell is Haley? Look, if she's your girlfriend or anything, I can just say that I didn't know…"

"She's not my girlfriend." Jake interrupted him again. The guy was really drunk, and he tried his best not to be fed up with him. Besides all the things Lucas said, Jake still believed that Nathan deserved the benefit of doubt. "I'm here to drive you home."

"Drive me home? Why?" Nathan asked, frowning.

"Haley's parents must be worried about you, man."

"Who the fuck is Haley?" Nathan asked again.

"The tutor." Tim answered.

"Tutor?" Nathan seemed really lost.

"You're staying at her house, remember that?" Jake refreshed his memory and Nathan's eyes widened.

"Oh, Haley! Oh, damn, I totally forgot. Where is she? I was supposed to go home with her... but... I think I distracted myself a bit" He finished the sentence with a drunk smile on his face.

"Yeah, I can see." Jake told him. "Let's go, man, she's at home already."

"Crap…" Nathan took another tequila shot before going with Jake. "See you around, guys."

"See ya at school, Nate! Nice meeting you!" Tim waved and got back to the other guys.

Jake guided him to the car, not knowing what to say to him. He was looking bad, and probably didn't even know who he was at the moment. Perhaps Lucas was right about him, seeing as he was so drunk, and at his first night in the city.

"I should've headed home with her…" He said while entering the car.

"Yes, but she couldn't find where you were, so Lucas drove her home like three hours ago."

_Lucas._

Right, he knew, like his dad had said, he was stepping into the lion's den. Of course he would have to meet Lucas sometime, but Nathan was not looking forward to that. In fact, meeting Lucas was something that would happen real soon, since they studied at the same school now, and he was best friends with Haley.

"Was he at the party?" He asked after some time, and Jake looked at him strangely before realizing who he was talking about.

"Yeah, he was. He got pretty worried when you didn't show up to go home with Haley…he left with her and then he asked me to drive you. So here I am."

"He did?" Nathan asked, his eyes closed, his head hurting now more than ever. It felt like it was going to explode. "Thank you." He said, and Jake gave him a small smile, without getting his eyes from the road. "I don't really know my way around yet…"

Yeah, but you sure knew how to get wasted at your first night here."

Nathan sighed. He was not in the mood for a lecture, especially from a guy he never met before. All he wanted now was a comfortable bed where he could sleep until

Monday. He was tired, both physically and mentally.

"I know." He simply answered. Probably Haley's parents would think he was some troublemaker. Well, he actually was… not that he wanted them to know that so soon, but he was. Nathan couldn't deny the fact that parties, girls and booze always made him lose the focus.

"Are you joining us?" Jake asked him after a while. Nathan didn't seem to understand his question, and just made a confused face.

"Joining who on what?"

"Basketball team." Jake told him, like it was obvious. "I heard you're a great player, so I'm asking. I'm on the team too."

"Don't think so." Nathan told him in a low voice. His head was now pounding so hard he thought he would die. _Never going to drink again. Ever. Well, maybe a beer or two at the next party._

"I bet Whitey would want you in the team. Whitey is our coach… he can be pretty tough, but he's a good guy after all… We're doing great so far, well, the season is just starting but I already know we're doing I nice job."

"I'm not interested." Nathan said quickly. He didn't want to talk about basketball, let alone play it.

"Really? Look, man, I have nothing to do with all this, I don't even know you, but… Lucas won't be in your way if you want to play with us and…"

"I already told you I'm not interested, man, just drop it, will you?" He said, this time in a harsh tone.

"Ok, then…" Jake raised his eyebrows and kept quiet until they reached Haley's house.

Nathan closed his eyes and tried to focus on something else than basketball, or that awful headache he was feeling now. His night was over now, but he knew some things were just getting started.

X X X X X X X X X X

Nathan sipped on his coffee and flinched, since it was beyond hot. Lydia smiled and shook her head. Haley was sitting besides her dad and they were watching TV. Well, Nathan wasn't, since his head was still killing him.

"Are you feeling all right?" Lydia turned her head to him, still smiling.

"Yeah, I'll be good in no time." He answered and took another sip. He saw Haley roll her eyes at his statement and he frowned. _What's her problem?_

Jimmy looked at Nathan and then turned the TV volume down. The younger man knew it was not a good sign.

"I'll... call Brooke." Haley made an excuse and got out of the living room.

"Nathan..." Jimmy started. "We do have some rules around the house... I want you to know that I already told Haley off about coming home without you last night, it was not a good thing to do, since you didn't even know how to get back on your own."

"It was not her fault, Mr. James... I lost track of time. I'm really sorry."

"You should remember to be back a little bit earlier than you did, Nathan." Jimmy said, nodding his head at what Nathan said before. "Besides, I don't think you should be drinking."

Nathan sighed.

"I'm sorry. I don't wanna cause you any trouble here."

"We know that, son." The older man smiled down to him and patted his shoulder. "Aren't you hungry at all? Haley and Lydia made an apple pie and it's on the kitchen table."

Nathan gave him a half smile and got up, entering the kitchen without letting go of his coffee. Haley was at the kitchen and she was eating some pie. She looked up at him and he took a seat in front of her, asking her with the eyes if he could have a piece of it.

"Go ahead." She nodded before pouring some milk on her own glass.

He served himself and then started to eat, without really looking at her. Now it was kind of awkward.

"So, you had fun last night?" He asked, trying to make a small talk. He was somewhat curious about her. Haley was not his type, he knew that, but he wanted to get to know her anyways. They would be living together for some time, it was better this way, wasn't it?

"Not as much as you, I suppose." She raised her eyebrows, her voice showing a little hint of anger.  
>Nathan chuckled and nodded.<p>

"Yeah, right." He said, now just smiling. "I actually had some real fun. Pretty good idea you had of asking me out."

"I did not ask you out." She shot him a look and then he chuckled again.

"Oh, you did it. Kind of, but you did it."

"If I remember well, you were the one who invited yourself to go. I was going to meet my friends there."

"Whatever you say, Haley." He smirked and she narrowed her eyes at him. Was he just trying to wind her up? Oh, god, that was all she wanted right now. "You know, you'd have much more fun if you were with me last night."

Haley looked at him. He was smirking, his face showing that something was implied in what he said. What?

"Well, I don't think so."

"We'll see about that." He nodded and pointed his fork at her before returning to his pie. "I bet there'll be plenty of other opportunities for us to have some fun... like... 'one-on-one' real fun." He smirked again and almost laughed when he saw she was getting so aggravated by his words.

Haley rolled her eyes at him, blushing like crazy. _What a jerk!_

"Well, you can just lose your hopes on that." She told him pretty quickly. She could not believe how full of himself he was, although she could not exactly say if he was just trying to annoy her or really making a move on her. At the moment, Haley prayed it was the first option.

"So, what are our plans for today?" He asked, totally ignoring her last comment.

"Plans?"

"Yeah." He put his fork down and stared at her, his blue eyes gazing on her brown ones. "I mean, we partied yesterday, now today's a Sunday... what do you have in mind?"

"Nothing." She answered quickly again, totally surprised by the way he was acting. "And we didn't partied yesterday. You did."

"I'm beginning to think you were jealous of me, Haley." He laughed lightly and her face instantly got red again. He though it was nice to see her like that. "You could just have looked out for me and we would have done something more... I don't know..._ exciting?"_

"You know what, you're a jerk."

"Ouch, Hales, that really hurt my feelings." Nathan smirked. "So you like to play hard to get? I'm all in for it. Let's see how much you can handle..."

"Oh, shut up." She got up from her chair. Maybe Lucas was right after all and Nathan Scott was just a big jerk. She couldn't believe he was actually hitting on her after being at her house for less than a day. Haley knew his type very well, and she could say that Nathan meant trouble. She didn't need anything else to prove her that, he already showed her how things were with him. So now what, he was thinking about staying at her house like he was in a hotel and then think he could use her to have some fun while in there? Oh, he was so wrong if he thought she was this type of girl...  
>He got up too, and before she could reach the door Nathan grabbed her arm and spun her around, in order to face her again. He could tell she was really pissed by now, but he couldn't care less.<p>

"Two can play this game, you know that?"

"Let go of me, Nathan." She demanded, now totally mad at him. Was he crazy?

"Like you really want that to happen... yeah, I can see that." He mocked her, laughing. But he let her go anyways. He was just wanting to wind her up a little bit, not trying to make her parents pissed at him or something.

"Don't touch me again." She hissed and then quickly made an exit, leaving him alone at the kitchen, with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, like you can resist forever..." He said to himself, while watching her go upstairs really fast.

X X X X X X X X X X X

Nathan was now kind of worried.

It was Monday morning, and after an uneventful Sunday – after his funny encounter with Haley at the kitchen – he was finished getting ready for school.

At first, when he got up, Nathan was somewhat curious and maybe thrilled to go to his first day on Tree Hill High. Without Dan always breathing in his neck it actually felt good to do things like this. He didn't have to worry about basketball practices anymore, so he though he would have plenty of time to do other things, like having some fun and making new friends. It was not easy to have fun when your dad is always trying to get you down every day of the week.  
>But now, while he waited for Haley outside her house, he was feeling like he was never going to get rid of Dan Scott.<p>

_Twenty-one missed calls: Dad_

He was so glad he did not hear any of those... but he knew his dad would be pissed. Then he noticed his dad had texted him too, around eleven P.M.

_It's not like you can pretend I don't exist, son. Call me. We need to talk._

"Yeah, right, like I want to talk to you..." He muttered to himself.

Shit. He wasn't in the mood for calling Dan, or let alone answering his text messages or anything like that. He just wanted to get him out of his head for a long while and enjoy himself.

He wished he could do it, but Nathan knew it was not possible.

"Let's go." Haley opened the door and stepped outside, not really waiting for him in the process. She was walking fast, and Nathan presumed she was still a little mad at him about the way he acted around her yesterday. He had to jog in order to get to her, and then he started walking by her side not really saying anything. He was not in a good mood anymore, so he decided to let her be.

"I'll show you the way to school, it's not that difficult. So just pay attention, 'cause you'll need to head home by yourself today. I have tutoring after class and I won't be home early." She told him, not looking at him. Nathan was walking by her side with his hands on his pockets, his mind traveling far away.

"Ok." He simply answered. "Are you having difficulties already?"

"What?" She looked at him quizzically.

"You said you have tutoring after class today." Nathan explained, now looking at her for a brief moment while they walked.

"Not really, I'm a tutor." She answered and he raised his eyebrows.

Nathan nodded and remember briefly when Tim told him she was a tutor, back on Saturday's night party. How could he have forgotten that? Oh, she was a_ nerd._

He didn't answered that one. They walked the rest of their way to the school in silence, and Haley kind of wondered what was wrong with Nathan. Yesterday he was talkative and really outgoing, but now he was all lost in thoughts. He then put his earphones on and she could almost listen what he was listening to.

He didn't want to talk that morning.

For a few minutes, she really thought he was actually hitting on her on Sunday, but now, seeing as he was all serious and not really caring about her anymore, she was completely sure that he was indeed only trying to aggravate her and have some fun._ It's not like guys like Nathan Scott really would look at me that way._

She was not disappointed at all.

When they arrived, Nathan didn't bother to say anything. He just made his eyes through the people, and left Haley behind, like they didn't know each other. Well, they actually didn't.

"Hey, Haley!" Lucas greeted her and smiled. She smiled back, and started walking down the corridor with him. "How was Sunday?"

"Oh... normal... I guess. And pretty boring too"

She didn't want Lucas to know what Nathan did, so she decided to let it go. It was not like anything was really happening, and for what she saw that morning, there was nothing to worry about. Nathan was a tease, nothing more.

"Is Nathan being nice to you?"

"Well, we really didn't have a chance to talk at all." She answered him.

"Yeah, I saw how he walked away as soon as you guys got here."

She nodded.

"He's probably trying to find Tim and the other guys."

"Maybe. He was so drunk at the party that I don't really know if he remembers anyone." Lucas chuckled and Haley nodded her head, laughing along. "But don't be bothered 'cause he's not talking to you, ok? I mean... I told you..."

"I'm not bothered by it, Luke." She rolled her eyes at her friend. "You know that you're the only Scott that I want in my life."

"I'm flattered, Miss, but I have to say that I already have a girlfriend." He said with a mocking smile and Haley elbowed him playfully.

"Like I can forget something like that, since you and Brooke are always sucking each other faces everyday."

Lucas laughed at her comment and they decided it was time to head to class after all. It was going to be a busy day.

X X X X X X X X X X X

When Nathan managed to get to class, the teacher was already there, and was going on about something. It was Math class, and he just rolled his eyes when he thought about how that would be painful. Nathan was not in the mood to it.

"Glad you could join us... Mr. Scott." the teacher told him. He was a middle age man, who seemed to be really strict, since everybody was quiet, just watching his explanation. "I was waiting for you."

Nathan rolled his eyes and made his way to the desk near the window. He never took his earphones off, and the teacher was now back to his explanations.

_Good._ Nathan thought, as he noticed that the teacher didn't pay much attention to him anyway.

His mind was running a thousand miles per hour. He knew his dad would call him, it was not like he was just going to forget and let him be for some time like... _forever._ Nathan knew this would happen. Well, he also knew that he should call his dad soon, before he actually wanted to come down here and make a little visit. His dad wasn't very fond of the idea of coming to Tree Hill, but if Nathan was there now, probably the idea would cross his mind sometime soon and he should be prepared for that. Besides, Dan was not happy about the fact that he decided to go along with his mom's idea and move out from their house. Nathan didn't know what he would do after some time. He knew he couldn't live with the James' forever, he would have to go back home sometime. Nathan just wished that it would be a time very far away.

_How sad is that?_ He sighed to himself, gazing through the window._ I find myself more at ease living with these strangers than I felt all my life at my own house._

He felt like he would always be a prisoner. He couldn't fight the feeling that things might never be ok to him, that his dad would give him some space. Maybe Lucas was lucky after all, seeing as Dan was not really interested on what he was up to. Nathan somewhat wished his dad would give him some time before he started bullying him again.

"So, what would be the answer to this one, Mr. Scott?"

Nathan never answered that one. Music was still blasting through his earphones and he was deep in thought about his dad. Math was not the first and most important thing on his mind right now.

"Mr. Scott?" The teacher asked again, now louder. Someone tapped Nathan's shoulder and he looked up quickly, the teacher looking at him expectantly. _What was that all about?_

Nathan took his earphones off and finally took the hint: his Math teacher asked him a question and was now waiting for an answer.

"What?" Nathan asked, his voice showing how he was uninterested about whatever was going on there.

"I think I asked you to solve the equation, Mr. Scott... but I think you are kind of busy."

"Maybe I was. So... why don't you ask someone else?" Nathan smirked and now everybody was paying full attention to the conversation.

"I want you to do it." The teacher said, his voice now sounding harsher.

"Well, I surely don't want to."

He put his earphones back on and that was it. Some kids were laughing to themselves, others seemed to be shocked. Nathan didn't care about any of this, and he surely didn't care about his teacher.

When he felt the older man tapping his shoulder, his temper rose. He the took his earphones off again, but this time showing how pissed off he was.

"I think I told you I'm not interested in whatever you're doing! Got it now, mister?" Nathan said in a louder voice, but the man was not taken aback by his harsh words.

"I don't need troublemakers in my class, Mr. Scott. So, since you're obviously one of them, please, let me show you the principal's office."

"That's great news, actually!" Nathan said, grabbing his backpack and walking back to the door. "It means that I won't have to stick around to this stupid class after all."

He made his way to the door and then quickly put his phone back on.

X X X X X X X X X X

Nathan was sitting outside the school entrance, looking down. He got a detention on his first day, and that was certainly not a good thing. Well, it's not like he was worrying about it anyways, but Haley's parents would probably get to know about his little tantrum at Math class that morning.

He looked at his watch and thought she would be leaving anytime soon, so he decided to wait up for her. But as the minutes started to pass and she didn't show up, he was starting to feel bored of waiting.

He was almost getting up and heading home when he was surprised by hands running up his back.

"Hey, handsome."

He could barely picture who the girl was, but he quickly took a hint when she did kissed him right away. She was blonde and really hot, and he looked at her in a curious way.

"Hey." He answered after that, not really in the mood for making out either. He just wanted to be left alone.

"So, you remember me? I'm Natalie... I think we met Saturday..."

Oh, yeah, he could remember her. _I remember you giving me the blowjob of my life._ He chuckled to himself and nodded at her.

"Good. What are you doing here all by yourself?"

"Nothing really." He shrugged.

"So why don't we head out to my house?" She offered, her lips now tracing some hot kisses on his jawline. "My parents are out of town, and I'm feeling lonely."

"I bet you are." He answered her, kind of enjoying himself.

"I heard you got a detention." She let go of him, a dirty smile on her face. "You know, I have a thing about bad boys..."

Nathan smiled to himself. Suddenly he forgot all about Dan. He had to have some fun while he was here, and that's what he would do. He was thinking of waiting up for Haley, but since he got this great offer, he could not turn it down.

"Let's go, then." He got up and held his hand out for her to take, which she did pretty quickly.

Haley was walking down the corridor and she arrived just in time to see how Nathan was happily walking away with a girl, his hands keeping her close while they walked.

_He is unbelievable._

Now she was sure he was a big jerk after all.

X X X X X X X X X X

Nathan arrived home around seven pm and found Haley was outside reading a book. She looked so peaceful there, that he almost felt guilty to disturbing her reading.  
>He reached the porch and smiled down at her, who didn't bother to even look back at him.<p>

"Hey, Haley." He said, taking his earphones off.

"So you learned your way around Tree Hill pretty quickly I guess." She told without retrieving her eyes from the book.

"Yeah, I can learn fast."

"I bet you can. What were you up to?" Haley decided to act like she didn't see a thing. Nathan shrugged.

"Nothing really."

"Yeah, right."

"You know, I can make friends real fast. I was just hanging out with some of them." He smirked. "Why, jealous again, Haley?"

"You know what, I'm just going."

Haley got up and shoved her book on her purse, heading to the street.

"Going? Where exactly?" Nathan turned around to look at her, now curious about how fast she was leaving.

"I'm visiting Luke." She answered, stopping to face him for the first time. "My parents are doing some shopping, they should be home soon."

"Oh." Nathan nodded. "Ok, then."

Then she disappeared down the street and he found himself alone. Now, Nathan was not in the mood to be alone. He decided to go for a walk.

X X X X X X X X X X

"Hey, man!"

Nathan waved at the guy and could remember him very well: it was Jake, the guy who gave him a lift back to Haley's house on Saturday. He was practicing some free throws at a basketball court not so far away from her house, and Nathan thought if it was a good idea to be in a place like this. Jake smiled at him and made a gesture for Nathan to approach him.

"I didn't see you at school today." Jake told him, the basketball now in his hands.

"I was there. Didn't see you either." Nathan pointed to the court. "Do you always come here?"

"Sometimes. I kind of need to improve my free throws."

Nathan just nodded.

"Wanna help me out?" Jake handed the ball to Nathan, but the brunette boy just shook his head and took a step back.

"I'd rather just watch it." Nathan tried to smile.

"You sure?" Jake asked. "It would be fun. And I could really use some advice."

"Like I said to you, I'm not playing basketball anymore." Nathan mentioned the conversation they had two days before. Jake smiled and nodded.

"You must have your reasons; I'm not going to ask." Jake told him. "Whatever, man, I'm tired already, and it was not like I was going to beat you anyway."  
>Nathan laughed and shook his head. Jake seemed like a nice guy, and even though he was not interested in making friends with anyone involved with Lucas andor basketball, he could enjoy his company.

"I'm hungry." Jake told him while tapping his arm quickly. "Let's grab something to eat. My house is down the street."  
>Nathan frowned.<p>

"Are you inviting me?" He asked to make sure. He knew Jake was one of Lucas's friends, and he wasn't sure about it.

"Yeah, c'mon. My mom baked something earlier and she'll enjoy having someone else to gave her compliments about her cooking."

"Okay, then. I'm curious now. Is her food that good?" Nathan asked, while they started walking down the street without a care in the world.

"It's the best, man!" Jake answered. "My mom knows lots of recipes and..."

The boys kept walking and talking, like they were old friends. And Nathan thought that it was probably a good start after all.

**TBC**


End file.
